The Mystery Twins: Search for the Impossible (AU Based on CW's Flash)
by Fester Drummond
Summary: My name is Dipper Pines. When my sister and I were five, we saw our parents murdered by something impossible. Then an accident made us the impossible. To the outside world we're just teenagers, but secretly we solve mysteries and find other metahumans like us. And one day, we'll find who killed our parents and finally get justice for their deaths. We are the Mystery Twins! Flash AU
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: Wiggidy wiggidy what's up dude-bros?**

 **This is an AU of my own creation. It roughly blends together Gravity Falls and the CW Flash TV show. I'm still working out all the fine details, but everyone in this AU is three years older than they are in the canon (I.E. Dipper and Mabel are 15, Wendy is 18, ect.). Basically, when Dipper and Mabel were five, their parents were murdered by forces yet unidentified. They then went to live with Grunkle Stan, and have been raised by him ever since. As for the other details of this AU...well, you'll just have to keep reading!**

 **If anyone's wondering about my other story, "Reverse Falls: Darkness on the Horizon," I've been meaning to update for a while, but college has been keeping me busy. I wanted to get something out today, so I decided to release the prologue of this story. Once this semester ends, though, you can bet that there'll be more Reverse Falls chapters on the way.**

 **I do not own Gravity Falls. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Prologue**

 _To believe what I'm about to tell you, you need to do one thing. You need to believe in the impossible. And I'm not talking your average, "Luke, I am your father," cubs winning the world series, oh-my-gosh-how-can-I-finish-this-paper-by-Friday impossible. I mean flat out weird, scratch-your-head-wondering-what-the-heck-happened impossible._

 _Can you do that?_

 _Good._

It was a warm, sunny day in Gravity Falls. The wind blew gently on the rolling hills, creating small waves in a sea of green. The trees swayed slightly, making small whispering sounds as the wind passed through the branches. The smell of cooked meats filled the air, emanating from several grills in an area where families were playing and enjoying the world around them.

 _So, summer break. A time for leisure, kicking it back, and taking 'er easy._

Overlooking the valley rested a giant, colorful billboard at the top of a cliff. Illustrated on it were several pine trees, a winding river, and a sunrise. In big, bold letters it read "GRAVITY FALLS."

 _Unless you're me._

The serene setting was shattered as a lightly beat-up golf cart burst through the billboard, plummeting towards the hill below. The cart was occupied by two brunette teenagers, who were currently screaming at the top of their lungs. At the wheel was a boy in shorts, a dark, sleeveless jacket, and an orange t-shirt. The wind was blowing in his hair, revealing the Big-Dipper shaped birthmark on his forehead. To his right was a similar-looking girl wearing a colorful sweater and knee-length purple skirt. Unlike her companion, she had long hair, no birthmark, and the glint of braces emanated from her mouth.

The golf cart hit the ground, rattling the passengers. Wasting no time, the boy hit the gas, and the cart shot forward through the forest they now found themselves in. A large, shadowy creature landed on the ground behind the golf cart. It paused for a second, then chased after the teenagers.

"It's getting closer!" the girl screamed. The boy began to swerve the vehicle, steering the cart in evasive maneuvers with his right hand while his left hand clutched his left ear in pain. The girl held her stomach, as if trying to fight back a gag reflex. Bright sparks began to fly off of her, which were whipped behind them by the air to create a colorful trail of light for the golf cart.

 _See the boy in excruciating pain? That's me. The girl about to puke with sparks flying off of her is my sister Mabel. You may be wondering why we're currently fleeing from a gigantic mass of unspeakable horror. You might also be wondering why I'm in pain, and why there's freaking sparks flying off of my sister's skin like some sort of sparkler or welding tool._

The monster hurled a tree in the path of the speeding vehicle. It smashed a couple of feet in front of the cart, shooting splintered pieces in every direction. The boy swerved in an attempt to dodge the new obstacle, but it appeared that there would be little hope for that endeavor. The duo let out another panicked scream, bracing themselves for impact.

 _Rest assured, there's a perfectly logical explanation. Kind of._


	2. Ch 1: How's Your Night?

**Author's Note: What's up, hambones?**

 **Sorry for the delay of this chapter. I can't promise regular updates, but I'll try to get these chapters out as quick as I can.**

 **I must also apologize for the long chapter. I didn't know where exactly to cut things, so if anyone has some feedback on how this can be better edited, I'm all ears.**

 **Special thanks to all who reviewed, followed, and favorited! I didn't expect to get this many with the prologue, so this was a pleasant surprise!**

 **Gravity Falls and CW's the Flash are not mine.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: How's Your Night?**

"Mommy, look what we found!"

A brunette woman in her early thirties took her eyes off of her book to look at her grinning five-year-olds in the hallway, covered with mud and holding a rusted wrench between them. The children looked nearly identical, however the girl to the left had longer hair and wore brighter colors than the boy to her right, whose hair didn't extend beyond his neck and wore more muted, cool colors. The woman, Susan Pines, gave them a small smile, making a mental note to make sure that the kids took extensive showers that night.

"What is it?" she asked in a tone of wonder.

The boy, Dipper, stepped forward, holding out the wrench. "It's an alien hand fossil! Proof that aliens are real!"

"Or it's a magic wand!" the girl, Mabel, cut in. "From a magical flying pony head!"

"No it's not!" Dipper exclaimed. "That's dumb! It's an alien hand!"

"Magic wand!" Mabel shot back.

Susan gasped, and the two children looked back at her. "What if it's both?" she suggested. "What if it's the floating magical hand of an alien pony head?"

Dipper and Mabel looked at the wrench with newfound awe. "Really?" they asked in unison.

"Yes!" Susan affirmed, walking over to the children and picking up the browned piece of metal. "Where did you two find this powerful alien wand?"

"Mars!" Mabel exclaimed instantly. "We went to Mars and found it there!"

"No we didn't," Dipper corrected. "We found it by the sidewalk while we were paying outside. It was in the muddy spot that doesn't dry."

"Wherever it was, it was a great place to play in!" Mabel declared.

"It'll be great to wash off, that's for sure." Susan mumbled.

"Hey everyone!" came a voice from the door. The kids and their mother turned their attention to a man coming through the doorway, his long overcoat and brown hair illuminated by the light that was pouring in behind him. Avery Pines wore a smile underneath his mustache, which turned into a small frown when he took in the sight of the dirty children.

"What happened to you two?" he asked, closing the door behind him.

"We went treasure hunting!" Dipper said with pride.

"And we found a magical pony alien hand!" Mabel added, taking the rusted tool from her mother and showing it to her father.

"Uh, Mabel?" Avery said, pointing to the object. "That's a-"

Susan shot him a sideways look.

"That's, uh, that's what it is!" Avery backtracked. "A…uh…."

"Hand from a magical flying alien pony head?" Mabel offered.

"That!" Avery agreed, moving toward the group and kneeling down to their level. "May I see it?"

Mabel handed him the wrench, and Avery examined it, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Yep, this is pretty cool." He looked to the twins. "Hey, do you think I could take this to my lab? I bet everyone there would really like to see a magic hand."

"But I wanted to keep it," Dipper pouted.

"Please?" Avery pleaded, making a pouty face of his own.

Eventually, Dipper caved. "Okay, Daddy." Dipper conceded.

"Yay!" Avery exclaimed, hugging his kids. "Thank you!"

"Maybe you can use it on your boss to get a raise!" Mabel suggested.

"Maybe," Avery pulled away with a mischievous look in his eye. "I'll definitely think about it." His wife gave him another side stare, and he gestured to the stairs, located near the doorway. "Now, go clean yourselves before dinner."

The twins obeyed, racing each other up.

Avery looked back at his wife. "Potential tetanus crisis, averted."

"And done so well," Susan complimented, pulling her husband close. "You know, you're really cute when your eyes are full of wonder."

Avery smiled. "Well, with you, there's always a reason for them to be."

 _Our parents probably thought we were going to be quite the handful, bringing all sorts of things home every day. Some they let us keep, others they took to keep us from accidentally hurting ourselves. But through it all, they didn't try to stop us from exploring. They encouraged us to search for things ourselves, provided that we didn't go too far or get ourselves into trouble while doing it. And we were always searching for one thing or another._

 _But after_ _ **that**_ _night…_

 _After_ _ **that**_ _night, there was only one thing we were looking for._

 _And not only was it dangerous, it was personal._

Dipper woke to the sounds of loud banging coming from downstairs.

As the five-year-old rubbed his eyes and sat up, the banging became more frequent. A slight chill ran down his back. What could be making that noise this time at night? Was it a monster? A bad man? A flying alien magical pony head coming back for its hand?

"Dipper?"

Dipper turned to see his sister on her bed across the room. She too seemed to have been awakened by the noise, and looked just as uneasy as him.

"What's going on?" she asked in a frightened tone. "What's that noise?"

"It…" Dipper tried to find an explanation that wouldn't freak them both out. "It's probably the TV! Mommy and Daddy are probably watching a loud movie." He wasn't sure he believed that, but he didn't want to keep seeing his sister frightened.

"Are you sure?" Mabel pressed.

"Yeah!" Dipper said. "Let's…" He gulped. "Let's go look. We'll see that it's just a loud movie, and then we won't be scared anymore."

"Yeah," Mabel replied, slowly getting off her bed. "Ok. Let's do that."

Dipper got up off his own bed, inching his way slowly to the door. He noticed that his sister had grabbed her pillow, and was holding it at her side as a possible weapon. Silently, Dipper felt a little relieved at that. It was all probably nothing, but just in case, Mabel could help them stand up to whatever was out there in the darkness.

Dipper slowly opened the door, and the duo stepped out into the hallway leading to the stairs. Dipper noticed that there were lights coming from downstairs in flashes of blue, red, and yellow. He gulped back something bitter at the back of his throat. It's just the light from the TV, he kept telling himself. Nothing to be scared of. It's just the TV.

As the twins slowly moved down the stairs towards the front of the house, the banging noises got louder, and they began to hear other sounds accompanying the banging. There was some loud metallic clanging, some cracking noises, and a sound that wasn't recognizable until they reached the bottom of the steps. Then it hit them.

The other sound was the screams of their parents.

Dipper and Mabel froze. Dipper felt his blood run cold. He and his sister looked to each other, searching for their next move in each other's eyes. They could see each other's fear and anxiousness, but there was something else there too. An unspoken strength and determination. Whatever was happening, they had each other's backs.

And their Mommy and Daddy needed help.

Mustering all their strength, Dipper and Mabel sprinted towards the living room. Turning into it, they let out a collective gasp.

The living room was trashed. The entertainment center was in pieces, with family photos strewn about the room. The couch was broken in several places, large tears exposing the fluffy innards that lay inside the cushions. The windows were all smashed in, with several small glass shards laying in front of each one. Swirling around the outer edges of the room were bright flashes of color, moving around in circular paths. Every now and then, a burst of bright, sparkling light or a trail of blue fire would shoot out from the colorful display of yellow, red, and blue, smashing into another piece of furniture or taking a chunk out of the wall.

And in the center of the madness was Avery and Susan Pines, huddling together in the middle of the room and doing their best to dodge every projectile that came from a storm of light surrounding them.

"Mommy?!" Mabel shouted over the noise. "Daddy?!"

Mr. and Mrs. Pines looked up, their faces full of emotion.

"Mabel! Dipper!" Susan shouted.

"Get out of here!" Avery yelled. "Go!"

"Mommy! Daddy!" Dipper cried.

Suddenly, a shape appeared in the light. Though it was a little hard to make out, Dipper could see that it was a giant yellow triangle. Beads of yellow light emanated off of it, and it seemed to have a white eye in the center that was staring directly at him and his sister.

Then, just as soon as it had appeared, the triangle vanished into the swirling mess of blue, yellow, and red.

"Mommy! Daddy! Come with us!" Mabel yelled.

"Yeah!" Dipper joined in. "We're not leaving without you!"

"Dipper, take your sister and go!" Susan answered, tears dripping down her face.

"Go now!" Avery added. His face was just as wet with tears as his wife's. "And if something happens, remember! We love-"

The house suddenly disappeared, and Dipper's world became nothing but red and blue light. It felt like everything around him was moving, yet Dipper himself felt like he was floating in space. He wanted to kick, to scream, to call out for his parents and his sister, but before he could do anything, he found himself on a street corner with his sister by his side. It was dark, and there were a few buildings nearby, but it was clear that this was nowhere near their house.

"Where are we?" Mabel asked, taking in their surroundings.

"I don't know…" Dipper answered. He spotted a police station nearby.

"Mabel, look!" he declared, pointing towards the building. "Police officers! They can get us home, and then they can help Mommy and Daddy!"

"Then let's go!" Mabel said, making a break for the building. Dipper hurried behind his sister, hoping that they would make it home on time.

* * *

"Mr. Pines!"

Dipper's head shot up from his desk. As the tall, lanky boy rubbed his eyes, he could hear the snickering of some of his fellow classmates. He looked up to see Mr. Mendez, a balding man with dark hair and glasses resembling that of a popular young wizard character, glaring at him from the whiteboard at the front of the room.

"Just what were we dreaming about, Mr. Pines?" Mr. Mendez mocked. "I hope it was about the major themes and messages of Antigone. Otherwise I don't have high hopes of you passing next week's exam."

"Sorry, sir." Dipper grumbled.

"This is the last time I'm going to let this slide, Mr. Pines." Mendez proclaimed. "Next time you decide to slip into a mini-coma during my class time, you'll be waking up with a referral next to you. Do we understand each other?"

"We do," Dipper replied, thinking of all the ways he could have answered that question differently.

"Good." Mr. Mendez turned back to the whiteboard, continuing his lecture. "Now, as you all should remember, Creon's tragic flaw is his pride. He never admits that he's wrong until it's too late, and by then everything comes crashing down on him…"

* * *

"So, I heard someone took a little nap in Mendez's class today," Mabel said, elbowing her brother as they walked together through the halls of Gravity Falls High.

"It's really not a big deal," Dipper replied.

"Not a big deal?" Mabel repeated. "Dipper, you've only had his class for two months and this is the fourth time this has happened! He's going to write you up eventually."

"Well, I can't help if he's a boring teacher!" Dipper defended. "I love to read, but you know that English has never been my subject! Especially when it's taught by a drone like Mr. Mendez and he's going through the information for the ten billionth time!"

"I'm so glad I got Mr. Higgins instead," Mabel stated, a smile forming on her face. "Ten minutes of work, then he spends the rest of the time talking about the Walking Dead."

Dipper rolled his eyes.

"Are you falling asleep in class because of Mendez?" Mabel asked. "Or is it because you haven't been getting much sleep at night?"

Dipper slightly stiffened, which Mabel picked up on. "It's because of that, isn't it?"

Dipper sighed. "I don't know why, Mabel, but every time I've gotten some sleep for the last couple of nights, I go back to that night when we were five."

Mabel looked at him with newfound concern.

"It happened again in class today," Dipper continued. He stopped walking. "Do you think it's possible that this is some kind of sign? That we might be getting close to finding the Triangle Man?"

"Dipper," Mabel began. "I think you're just going through a low point. They've come and gone a lot over the last ten years. You know that as well as I do."

"Yeah…" Dipper relented, rubbing his arm. "You're probably right."

"You need something to cheer you up." Mabel put her arm around her brother. "You should come to the party tonight! Hang out with some friends, drink something age-appropriate, get your grove on!" She gave him a small smile. "Who knows, maybe that red-headed senior you've got a crush on will be there."

"Sh-she won't be there!" Dipper stammered, his face going a little red. "It's not her scene!"

"I don't know, Dipper, I've heard some stories." Mabel said. "They say that that Corduroy girl is the life of any party."

"Who's 'they?'" Dipper asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Oh, I have my sources. Wink."

"Whatever," Dipper remarked. "I'm not going to the party. Not when Dr. Mandell is launching the Infinity Engine tonight."'

"You're still planning on going to that?" Mabel asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Of course! Dr. Mandell is a legend in the study of Oddology! He's proven more 'mythical' things to be fact than anyone who's ever worked in that field. And the Infinity Engine will allow him to do that on a much larger scale! It'll create new ways of looking at everything!"

"Uh huh," Mabel said. "And you'd rather go to see that doohickey turn on than go to a party and have fun?"

"Of course!" Dipper declared.

"How am I related to you again?" Mabel remarked.

"Just promise not to tell Stan," Dipper pleaded. "You know how much he hates Mandell."

"Yeah yeah, bro bro. But if you change your mind, the party's always an option."

"Why do you even want to go to Pacifica Northwest's party anyway?" Dipper inquired, frowning. "Aren't you two still rivals or something?"

"Well, yes." Mabel conceded. "But it's a party that everyone in our grade is invited to. Everyone will be there, not just Pacifica and her friends."

"Speak of the devil," Dipper said, pointing to a well-dressed blonde walking a few yards away from them.

"Hey Pacifica!" Mabel shouted, waving at the rich girl. "See you at the party tonight!"

"Drop dead, Mabel." Pacifica shot, not even looking in her direction.

"I really don't like her," Dipper remarked.

"I don't think anyone really does," Mabel replied under her breath, keeping the smile on her face.

"Thanks!" she called back to Pacifica. "You too!"

* * *

For the fifth time, Dipper checked himself in the mirror.

Normally, Dipper didn't care much for how he looked. Making himself look 'presentable' had never been a concern, especially when there were so many better uses of time than stressing over what he looked like.

But it was entirely possible that Dipper would be meeting his idol tonight, or at least be in his general vicinity, and he didn't want to be seen as a disheveled, sleep-deprived teenager.

After taking a shower, he had changed into a set of clothes he had taken great pains over the last couple of days to make sure they were clean. Clean shorts, clean shirt, clean jacket, even clean underwear. The only thing he wore that wasn't recently cleaned was his signature pine tree hat that he wore on his head.

Standing in front of the mirror of his room, he made several micro-adjustments to himself. Quietly, he debated whether or not he should wear a bow tie to compliment all this. A bow tie would look nice. Maybe a bow tie would be good. But would it be too much? He didn't want Dr. Mandell to think he was trying too hard to make a good impression.

"You look like a dork, if that's what you're wondering."

Scowling, Dipper turned to face his sister, who was wearing a big grin on her face. She too was dressed up, but it was far more noticeable for her than for Dipper. She wore a large purple shirt, which exposed her left shoulder and some of the green strap of the top she was wearing underneath. A neon orange skirt stretched down to her knees, and purple heels adorned her feet. A large bow sat at the top of her head.

"Har har," Dipper said sarcastically. "At least I don't look like my clothes were washed in neon paint."

"I am completely okay that description," Mabel said.

"Hey, ya little munchkins." came a gruff voice from the door.

If there was an obvious contrast between how Dipper and Mabel Pines were dressed, that contrast was more than doubled by their guardian and Great Uncle, Stan. Stan Pines entered the room of his niece and nephew in a dirty tank top and pair of boxers, exposing much of his wrinkly, hairy skin. A red fez with the symbol of a fish sat on top of his silvery hair. He adjusted his glasses as he looked at the duo.

"Whoa, Pumpkin, you look amazing," he addressed Mabel. "And…" He sniffed the air. "Dipper, you actually smell less bad than normal. What's the occasion?"

"I'm going to a party, Grunkle Stan!" Mabel proclaimed.

"Is it another one of one of those Northwest parties?" Stan asked.

"Yep!"

"Good," Stan remarked. "If there's a competition again, make sure to knock that Pacifica girl down a peg or two for me, will ya?"

"Absolutely!" Mabel affirmed.

"And how about you, Dipper?" Stan asked.

"Oh, uh, I'm going to the party too!" Dipper said, attempting to give a convincing smile.

Stan's face darkened. "You're not going to see that hack Mandell turn on his piece of crap machine are you?"

"No, Grunkle Stan." Dipper replied. He put his arm behind his back and crossed his fingers. "I promise."

Stan lingered his eyes on the teen for a bit, then shrugged. "Ok. You two need a ride?"

"Actually, one of Mabel's friends is driving us." Dipper answered.

"One of your friends already has a license?" Stan said incredulously.

"Candy had a birthday last week, remember?" Mabel reminded Stan. "She's sixteen. Her parents had her take her driver's test immediately, so she could drive herself to her internship."

"I gotta start stayin' off the roads, if your friends are driving around." Stan mused. "She's got an internship, huh? Where at?"

"Uh," Mabel started, looking toward her brother. "Well-"

"There she is!" Dipper cut her off, pointing out the window of the room. A car was visible approaching the Shack.

"And not a moment too soon," Mabel said to herself. She bolted down the steps, with Dipper following behind. "Bye Grunkle Stan! We'll be home in a couple of hours!"

"Make good choices!" Stan hollered after them. "That goes for both of you!"

* * *

"Thanks for doing this, Candy." Dipper told the girl in the front driver's seat. They had already dropped off Mabel at the Northwest party, and were headed to Mandell Labs. Mabel had insisted that Candy come to the party after she was finished at her internship, but Candy had expressed that though she wanted to accompany her friend, Dr. Mandell would probably keep her all night with the Infinity Engine Ceremony.

Candy nodded in acknowledgement. "What does your uncle have against Dr. Mandell anyway?"

Dipper shrugged, a bit of exasperation visible on his face. "I don't know. Sometimes when I ask him about it he'll talk about him like he's actually met the guy, but I don't see how that would ever happen."

Candy looked at Dipper through the rear-view mirror. "If Stan actually met Dr. Mandell, I'm sure they'd get along. Dr. Mandell can be…overzealous at times, but he has a good heart. Not unlike Stan."

"I get the feeling that if we introduced them, I'd have to keep Stan from physically hurting him." Dipper mused.

"I'm sure that's not true…" Candy said in an unconvincing tone. The car began to slow, a small smile forming to her face. "We're here."

With butterflies in his stomach, Dipper looked out the window. Mandell Labs was a relatively new building, put together within the last six years or so. It was slightly removed from the town, existing on the outskirts near the forest. The building had a slight cone shape, its sides moving outward as its height increased. The windows that lined it were full of light and illuminated the surrounding area as the sky got darker and darker. Above and below the windows were concrete walls, and the whole thing was topped with a large section of blue, giving the building a little dash of color. Grass surrounded the building on all sides, excluding the road leading up to it and its parking lot, leading to a tree line that surrounded two-thirds of the premises. The building towered over the trees, easily visible from all directions of the town.

The excitement Dipper felt only grew as Candy parked and the two made their way to the constructed stage that had been set up outside the main doors of the facility. A podium sat atop the stage, overlooking a small crowd. Along with many of the town's residents looking forward to seeing a spectacle, scientists and journalists had come from all around the world to see the Infinity Engine turned on. Even Mr. and Mrs. Northwest were in attendance, likely ready to see what their money had been going into the last few years. Candy wished Dipper farewell, then took her place on the stage alongside a few other interns and employees at Mandell Labs. As Dipper made his way into the crowd, he tried to make out the men and women Candy had taken her pace alongside. He himself had wanted to be an intern for the lab, and was a little jealous of these people ahead of him. Most of them he didn't recognize, but when he noticed the red-headed girl to the far left, his heart stopped.

No. It wasn't **her** , was it?

It was. Standing five people to Candy's right was the most beautiful girl Dipper had ever seen. She was wearing a dark green dress that looked amazing on her, despite the fact that Dipper had never seen her in an outfit that wasn't a flannel shirt and jeans. Instead of her signature boots, a pair of heels covered her feet. Her hair was brushed and came down to her shoulders, and when it blew in the slight breeze Dipper could feel his cheeks lightly redden. The only trace of the Wendy Corduroy Dipper had liked since middle school was the ushanka that sat snugly atop the High School Senior's head.

Wendy was **here**? As an **intern**?

Before Dipper could let that information sink in, the area lit up with applause. Taking his eyes off of Wendy, Dipper's heart started to race and anxious tension flowed through his veins.

A mere number of yards ahead of Dipper, Dr. Paul Mandell climbed atop the stage and made his way to the podium. Dipper's longtime hero was a short, portly man dressed in a suit and slacks. He had silvery hair and a neck-length moustache-beard combo, as well as large rimmed glasses. The man wore a huge grin on his face all the way to the podium. When Dr. Mandell reached his destination he stood for a second, adjusting his bow tie before gesturing for his guests to quiet down.

"Oh, oh, hello Gravity Falls!" Dr. Mandell exclaimed. He pulled the podium's microphone closer to his face. "My name is Dr. Paul Mandell. Tonight, we make history. My Infinity Engine will allow us to gain new insight into theoretical sciences, and help us to discover the answers to the great mysteries of the universe. Do alternate dimensions exist? Is it possible to travel through time? Why do dudes have nipples?" The last question garnered a few scattered laughs. Mandell took the moment to gesture to the building behind him. "With this machine, the possibilities are truly infinite!" He looked out to the crowd as they gave him more applause. "Now there have been roadblocks. It's been a lifetime journey getting here. Some people-" Mandell eyed some of the scientists in the audience. "-thought we couldn't do it." Mandell's expression turned triumphant. "But here, alongside my hard-working employees and interns…"

Mandell gestured to the group of people to his side, pausing so that his workers could get the applause they deserved. Candy gave a nervous wave, while Wendy just put up her hand and gave the audience a small smile.

"…the day has finally come." Dr. Mandell continued. "And mark my words, ladies and gentlemen…"

Mandell's eyes fell directly on Dipper, and the teen tried his best not to freak out that his hero was looking RIGHT AT HIM.

"Tonight, everything changes." Dr. Mandell finished. The scientist was showered with another round of applause from the audience. He gestured once again to the building. "Now, what are we waiting for? Let's turn this thing on!"

Mandell stepped off the stage, followed by Candy, Wendy, and his other workers. The crowd slowly began to move in the direction Mandell was leading, giving Dipper time to stand still and process everything that had just happened.

Wendy was here. Working for Dr. Mandell. Who had actually looked at him!

And now he was going to get to go into Mandell Labs with the both of them and watch them turn on a scientific breakthrough that would bring him closer to answers that he had been searching for for years.

Dipper took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for the complete amazingness he was about to experience.

"Well, it's nice to see what your promises are worth."

Dipper froze.

"C'mon Dipper," Grunkle Stan addressed him, stepping from behind. He was dressed in his Mr. Mystery suit. Stan's face was a bit hard to read, but his body language told Dipper he was not happy. "We're going home."

"But, Grunkle Stan!" Dipper pleaded, gesturing to the building. "The Infinity Engine-"

"I told you, Dipper, you are not seeing that piece of crap turn on!" Stan began to make his way to the car. "I refuse to let Mandell get his crazy conspiracies stuck in your head! It's bad enough you've already got some of your own cooking up there!"

"They're not conspiracies!" Dipper bit angrily, running after his Grunkle. "They're real! If you could just see-"

"Dipper, we are not having this talk right now." The expression on Stan's face made it clear that this subject was getting dropped immediately. Reaching the car, Stan opened one of the passenger doors and gestured for Dipper to get in.

"I hope this little escapade was worth it," Stan bit as Dipper entered the vehicle. "Because as soon as your sister gets home, you're both grounded."

Dipper didn't say anything. He just sat in the back of the vehicle, fuming in his own anger and disappointment and wishing that this night had gone differently.

* * *

Across town, Mabel was having a ball.

The Northwests had rented out the school gym, transforming it into quite the party scene. The walls were decked out with curtains and fixtures. Large high-definition speakers boomed out pop music. An enormous disco ball had even been installed in the rafters, sending out multiple beads of multicolored light all over the gym. The place was packed with High School Sophomores who were eating, socializing, or dancing the night away.

And Mabel was in the center of it all.

It had started out as just a playful idea. Mabel and her friends Grenda, Patty, and Rebekah had moved onto the dance floor to get their groove on when Mabel suggested that they do the synchronized group dance they had been working on, knowing that it would be fun and probably look really cool. So they launched into the group dance, moving their way around the floor and getting applause and cheers from many of the on-looking partiers.

Then they had run into Pacifica Northwest and her posse. One thing had led to another, and now Mabel found herself and her friends in the middle of a dance battle with Pacifica and her group. Pacifica and her followers would do a series of moves that would gain a good amount of applause, only for Mabel's group to do a set of their own and earn even more applause. Even though she wanted to win, Mabel was just happy to be here. This night was going perfect.

Until the power went out.

Everyone went into a small panic, whooping at the newfound darkness and feeling out for their friends nearby. Mabel was trying to keep calm herself, assuring her friends that everything was okay at the same time.

"Who the heck turned the power off?!" Pacifica's voice demanded. "Is this supposed to be some kind of prank?"

Pacifica was answered with a loud **BAAAAANNNNGGGGG!** sound that echoed through the gym.

The occupants of the gym went into full panic mode, rushing out as fast as their legs could carry them. Chaperones were yelling for everyone to remain calm, to no avail. Mabel kept her best friends close, the quartet holding each other's hands and moving together towards the gym's exit. They were bumped into a few times, but whenever one of them fell over, the others were right there to pick them up. Eventually, the group made their way out into the night. The sight they were met with caused them all to stop.

"Uh, girls?" Grenda managed, gazing with her friends at the sky. "That's not natural, right?"

The girls were gazing at a massive wave of blue energy spreading from across town. As the wave moved more and more outwards, small arcs of lightning shot in many different directions, hitting trees, cliffs, and houses.

The gigantic display was moving closer and closer towards them.

"Get back in the gym!" Mabel shouted. "Now!"

The group bolted back into the building, but just as Mabel crossed the threshold, a bolt of lightning arced into her, sending the teen flying.

Mabel felt herself hit something solid before the world went black.

* * *

Dipper was back in his room, pacing while deep in thought.

Tonight had almost been the best night of his life. It had been going great, until Grunkle Stan had shown up. He had to give his Great Uncle credit for knowing him well enough to realize that Dipper was going to the launch of the Engine regardless of what Stan had told him. But even with that, Stan obviously didn't know how much the Infinity Engine meant to him. What answers he could get from something like that.

Dipper sighed. Moving over to his bed, he pulled out a long, thin rectangular object covered in a brown tarp from behind his headboard. He stood the object up on top of his bed, leaning it against the wall before pulling off the tarp.

It was a board covered with newspaper clippings, printed articles, and index cards with writing on them. The papers were connected by several thumb-tacks and strings. Some of the articles read

AVERY AND SUSAN PINES KILLED IN FIRE

DEMON SHAPES: ARE THEY REAL?

ARSON SUSPECTED IN PINES DEATHS

SUPERNATURAL ORIGINS OF THE PYRAMIDS

JOSE RAMIREZ CONVICTED FOR PINES MURDERS

At the top of the board was a handwritten question:

WHO IS THE TRIANGLE MAN?

Dipper took a step back. Someday, one way or another, his sister and him would get the answer.

A loud **BAAAANNNNGGGGG!** pulled Dipper out of his thoughts. He frowned. He hadn't head a sound that loud before.

Noticing that the sound had come from outdoors, Dipper looked out the window. He rubbed his eyes, making sure what he was seeing was real.

Sure enough, an enormous wave of blue energy was emanating from Mandell Labs in the distance, peels of lightning shooting from it in every direction as it spread.

That…wasn't good.

Dipper hurriedly put the tarp back over the board, and slid it back in its place. What happened? Had something gone wrong with the Engine? What about

Mabel.

She was still at the party.

Dipper bolted for the steps.

"Grunkle Stan!" Dipper shouted. "We need to-!"

The wave of blue energy crashed through the window, hitting Dipper with full force and sending face first into the floor. And everything was suddenly dark.

* * *

 **Lqilqlwb Hqjlqhv duh vr hdvb wr vderwdjh.**


	3. Ch 2: Wake Up

**Author's Note: Oh, Gravity Falls, it is good to be back!**

 **I must apologize for how long its been since I've updated. I thought that summer would mean that I would be updating much more frequently...obviously, that isn't what happened. And with college about to start back up, I can't promise that updates will come any quicker. For that, I must also apologize. All I can do is write these chapters as quickly as I can, and hope that it isn't another several months before I post something.**

 **Once again, I am greatly surprised and humbled by all the follows, favorites, and reviews. I didn't anticipate this much feedback at this juncture...thank you all so much for your support!**

 **Gravity Falls and The Flash are not mine, I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Wake Up**

 _Disco girl…coming through…._

"Ugh, Soos? BABBA again?!"

"Lighten up, hambone. It's his favorite band. If I were in a coma, I would want to listen to my favorite band while I was asleep."

 _That girl is you….._

"Technically, Soos, it hasn't been proven that people in comas are aware of what's happening around them. Dipper might not be hearing the music at all."

"How do you even know it's his favorite band?"

 _Oh oh, oh oh….._

"I checked his facebook. The dude's one of the admins of the fanpage."

The darkness began to lift from Dipper's eyes. Everything was blurry, but he managed to make out that he was in a room with a lot of blue and silver. Three figures seemed to be hovering over him. One was a large man with a green t-shirt and brown hat. Another was a tall, relatively thin girl with red hair, a green flannel jacket, and an ushanka on her head. The final figure was a shorter girl with dark hair, glasses, and a green t-shirt under a labcoat.

There's a lot of green going on here, Dipper thought groggily.

"Plus, you gotta admit it's pretty catchy," the big man continued. "Disco Girl, coming through…"

"It's **too** catchy." The red head frowned. The shorter girl put her hand on the red head's shoulder.

"Just be glad it's not more 'Straight Blanchin,'" the girl told her friend.

"Amen to that," the red head agreed.

"Hey, rappers are visionaries you two!" the big man asserted. "If they told me to eat my own pants, I-"

Dipper jolted awake, sitting up on the cushioned bed he was resting on. As everything came into focus, he realized that the room he was in was some type of laboratory area. He was lying at the end of the room, hooked up to a mess of wires and instruments. The center of the lab contained a large desk, topped with a sizable assortment of computers. At the other end of the room was a doorway, leading out into a hall that curved out of sight. Smaller rooms existed on either side of the lab, separated by industrial glass walls and doorways. In each of these smaller rooms, a multitude of scientific instruments and technologies were visible. A curtain existed a couple of feet to the right of Dipper, obscuring a portion of the lab from view. Standing around him, the three people who had been arguing stepped back in shock, their eyes wide and mouths agape.

"Oh my gosh, he's awake," the redhead remarked, who Dipper now recognized with a bit of a blush as Wendy Corduroy.

"Dipper, how are you feeling?" the dark-haired girl, Candy, inquired, slowly reaching out and disconnecting the instruments Dipper was attached to.

Wendy pressed a button on the wall, activating an intercom system. "Doc, Dipper's up. You might want to come down to the cortex."

Dipper rubbed his forehead, clearing away residual tiredness that lay beyond his eyes. "Where am I? What's going on?"

"Hey, don't worry hambone." The big man said reassuringly. "You're at Mandell Labs."

"Mandell…?" Before Dipper could process that piece of information, he took in the big man's appearance and frowned. "Soos? Is that you?"

Soos gave him a genuine smile. "I was afraid you wouldn't remember me. Heh. It's good to see you're alright, Dipper."

Dipper took off his blanket, realizing with horror that all he had on was a hospital gown stretching down to his knees. It didn't help that Wendy Corduroy was looking at him with concern while he was dressed like that.

"Might want to take your time getting up, man." She advised him. "You haven't used those legs in a while."

Dipper was frowning again as he tried to get off his bed, Soos doing his best to steady him. "A while? How long is-"

A gasp erupted from behind the curtain, and both Candy and Wendy raced over to the other side of the curtain.

"Mabel!" Candy cried from the other side of the curtain. "You're awake!"

"Mabel?!" Dipper turned to Soos. "Mabel's here too?"

Wendy reappeared and removed the curtain, revealing a bed nearly identical to Dipper's that Mabel Pines currently occupied. Mabel was looking around with a bewildered expression that Dipper was sure he shared while Candy disconnected her from the machines. Mabel too was wearing a hospital gown, however it appeared to be made of a different material than Dipper's. Oddly enough, it seemed to be made of the same material that her bed's bedding and mattress was made of.

"Dipper?!" Mabel demanded. "What's going on?"

"It's okay!" Dipper assured. "We're at Mandell Labs, apparently."

"Mandell Labs?" Mabel said incredulously. "Why? Are they running tests on us?" She glanced at Candy. "Have you been an alien this whole time? Is this an abduction?" A thought dawned on her. "The party! There was a freak storm!" New worry was visible on Mabel as she continued to demand answers from Candy. "The girls! Where are they? Are they alright?!"

"Calm down, Mabel, they're all fine." Candy assured Mabel, though her face made it evident that she was hiding something from her friend. "You've just come out of a coma. We've been taking care of you and your brother for some time now."

Dipper's blood ran cold.

"A coma?" Mabel repeated.

"For how long?" Dipper asked Soos.

"9 months," came a voice from the hall.

Everyone in the room looked to the entrance to the cortex. A short, portly figure slowly made his way into the room, his cane making small 'tik's as he continued his walk. He was a bit disheveled, his nice clothes looking a little worse for wear, and yet he wore a small grin on his face. His eyes never left the twins.

"How nice to finally meet you, Mr. and Ms. Pines." Dr. Mandell greeted. "We have much to discuss."

* * *

"I, I just can't believe that I'm actually meeting you!" Dipper let loose. "You've been my hero ever since I was nine!"

"Dipper, breathe." Mabel put her hand on his shoulder. After some brief introductions, Dr. Mandell and his team had given the twins some proper clothes to change into (Mabel had complained that a Mandell Labs sweatshirt wasn't exactly a comfortable homemade sweater), and Mandell had taken them on a tour of the facility they had spent the last nine months in. They had just passed Mandell's study and were headed to the Infinity Engine.

Mandell gave Dipper a wan smile, his cane continuing to "tik" as they moved forward. "Thanks for the praise, Mr. Pines. It is a welcome change from the usual scrutiny over the last couple of months."

He gestured to the facility round them. "Mandell Labs used to be one of the most forefront scientific facilities on the planet. Great minds from all around the globe would come to see what we were accomplishing here, what new discoveries we had uncovered. Not to mention the Lab's very presence boosted interest in the region itself. Gravity Falls received a new upswing in residents and tourism, and they loved us all the more for it."

It was true. Gravity Falls had increased in size and received a lot more visitors ever since Dr. Mandell had made the unexpected decision to build his lab there. Though Stan normally credited himself with the rise in tourism – usually going on about his amazing management skills and his uncanny ability to give people what they wanted. This was usually received with an eye roll from at least one of the twins.

Dipper noticed that Dr. Mandell had stopped talking, which probably meant that he was either thinking or wanted one of them to ask what happened to change all that. But even though the question had burned in his mind ever since he woke up, he hesitated now that he was about to get the answer. What if things had horrifically changed? What if nothing was ever going to be the same again? The irony didn't escape him, that he had been looking for answers all his life, yet was hesitating to face this one.

Then he looked to his sister, and saw the same hesitation in her eyes. In that moment, he realized that in the same way they had supported each other in the past, he needed to be strong enough for the both of them now.

"What happened?" Dipper asked.

Mandell gave him a sad smile, then led them through the end of the hall to a large, open space. The floor continued out to a railed indoor balcony that overlooked a massive cubed-shaped machine. What Dipper surmised to be the Infinity Engine was two stories big, and resembled a large technological rubix cube with shattered tubes jutting out from the multiple sides. The Engine's grey color was similar to old asphalt, as if all color had been drained out of it, save for a large blackened hole located at the top right-hand corner. The metal surrounding the hole bent outwards at irregular angles, as if something had exploded outward from the machine.

"The Infinity Engine happened." Dr. Mandell spoke with an almost pained wistfulness. "Or rather, a malfunction in its system. Nine months ago, after a hopeful and triumphant ceremony, the Infinity Engine was activated and ran successfully on its own for forty-six minutes. For forty-six minutes, I had achieved my lifelong goal to bring humankind closer to solving the mysteries in the universe…and then it all went to hell."

Dr. Mandell took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead. He pointed at the hole in the machine. "The Infinity Engine started taking in more energy than anticipated. We did our best to stabilize it, but the hull burst, releasing all manner of energies known and unknown in to the night sky," His face hardened. "When the proverbial dust cleared, forty-two people were dead or missing. Countless more were injured, including myself." He gestured to the leg supported by his cane as if to prove his point. "And all of a sudden, everything I spent my life building up, all my aspirations and dreams-" He snapped his fingers. "-were gone, just like that."

"The energy released in the sky…" Dipper managed, reeling from Mandell's revelations and pushing back his worries for Grunkle Stan and his friends at Gravity Falls High. "that's what hit Mabel and me? That's what put us in our comas?"

Mandell turned to them, a measured look on his face. "That's correct, Mr. Pines. You were both brought to the hospital for treatment, but certain…anomalies ensued."

Dr. Mandell led the teens back into the hallway.

"The doctors tried to stabilize your conditions," Mandell continued as he walked. "But the sheer amount of residual energies in your systems kept missing with their equipment. Eventually, after hearing about you two and pleading for days on end, the hospital released you into my care. Here, with the technology still available at the lab, we were able to stabilize you and give you the unique care you two needed."

The three of them re-entered the cortex, where Soos and Candy were finishing taking down the beds while Wendy seemed to be relaxing at the computer desk. The lab assistants all looked up as Dipper and Mabel entered the room, all trying to read their expressions.

Dipper had a million thoughts and emotions going through him all at the same time. He had been looking forward to the Infinity Engine's launch ever since it had been announced, but thanks to one little glitch in the system, people were hurt. People died. Both he and his sister had lost nine months of their lives. How much had changed? What would they find when they walked outside the lab? Even meeting Mandell had been cheapened by the circumstances that had caused it.

And then there was the question of what exactly happened to him and his sister. Mandell had said that energy from the Infinity Engine had been inside them. Not only that, but it had been strong enough to keep them in a coma for the last nine months. What other side effects were possible?

But one thought became louder and stronger than the rest the longer Mandell's information sank in. Stan. They needed to see Stan. He'd been waiting nine months for them to wake up, probably wondering if they ever would. What if he'd been hurt too? And the last time they'd spoke they'd argued, and…

"Look, this sciency stuff has been great and all," Mabel announced, worry showing on her face. "but we need to go home and see how everyone is."

"Mabel's right," Dipper chimed in. "No one even knows we're awake yet."

"That's not a good idea," Dr. Mandell said, frowning. "There's still so much about your condition that we don't know yet. We need to do some tests-"

"Thanks for looking after us and everything, but we really need to go." Mabel pressed. "Like now." She quickly made her way to the door, Dipper slightly trailing behind.

"We'll be fine, really!" Dipper assured Mandell and his associates, turning slightly to face them as he slowly turned the corner of the hall. It was clear from their faces that they didn't think this was the best course of action. Mandell seemed especially perturbed. As the four scientists disappeared from sight, a thought came into Dipper's head.

"Hey," Dipper said, popping back into view. He gestured to the Mandell Labs sweatshirt he had on. "Can I keep the shirt?"

* * *

The wind blew through the trees as the sun stood high in the sky, providing light and warmth to the entire town. Bees were out buzzing, the grass blew softly in the wind, and Gravity Falls was experiencing a rare quiet period.

It was a perfect day to have a romantic picnic in the dark part of the forest.

Jess couldn't help but stare at her date as she sat on the flannel blanket they had put over the grass. Even in this darker setting, he was still as chiseled and handsome as when they had met the day before. He had a strong jaw, combed jet-black hair that stretched down to his shoulders, and piercing blue eyes that just made her melt on the inside when he paired them with his full white-toothed smile. He was giving her one such look now. His muscular frame was still evident even coupled with the black hoodie and jeans he had on. And to believe that this tall drink of water was only fifteen, just like her!

Adjusting her glasses, Jess remembered first seeing him the day before. She was passing the cemetery on the way to the corner store and had almost smacked into a pole for after spotting him and staring for too long. Then, all of a sudden, he was there, asking if she wanted to go out with him. Her! They had spent the day walking around town, holding hands, eating at Greasy's Diner, even playing some frisbee among the tombstones for a while.

And now here they were, sharing sandwiches in the middle of the forest with no one around for miles. Could this day get any better?

"Jess," Brad, her date, said in his deep, masculine voice. His eyes fixated on her and it gave her butterflies in her stomach. "Now that we've gotten to know each other, I have something I need to tell you."

Jess sat up in her red and white checkered dress and yellow jacket. "Oh Brad, you can tell me anything!"

Brad smiled wider. "I was hoping you would say that." He stood up off the blanket and took a step back into the grass. Not knowing what else to do, Jess followed him up.

Brad rubbed the back of his muscled neck. "Now, this is going to seem weird, so… just keep an open mind, alright?"

Jess nodded. Seeming confident in her response, Brad unzipped his hoodie and tossed it to the ground. Then, without warning, he pulled his black crew-cut V-neck tee over his head and tossed that away as well.

"Ahm…" Jess managed, turning red at the sight of Brad's chiseled abs and six-pack.

"Oh, believe me," Brad raised an eyebrow. "There's more where that came from."

Jess turned an even darker shade of pink.

Suddenly, Brad's entire body began to vibrate. His skin turned to a liquid consistency, waves of flesh churning in each and every direction of Brad's form. Jess shrieked and took a step back as a hole began to open in Brad's chest, ever widening and growing. Next his arms began to shorten, his thighs grew thicker, and faces started to form on his abs and thighs. Two arms sprang out of Brad's chest cavity, one on each side. Two more short arms sprouted at the sides of Brad's head, and each thigh received its own pair of arms. The liquidy flesh began to re-condense and harden, forming hair and clothes on the newly formed faces, until Jess was looking at five short men stacked on each other that resembled garden gnomes.

Brad's…head grabbed a red pointed hat from seemingly nowhere and donned it with a grin.

"So, what do you think?" he asked. "Is this weird? Is this too weird?"

Jess' eyes were so big they were practically bulging out of their sockets, and her jaw was reaching for the ground.

"Ah, well." Brad sighed. He gestured to Jess. "Alright boys, you know the drill. Get her!"

The five little men who had been Brad lept onto Jess, pulling her to the ground.

"Get off of me!" Jess shouted, fighting through the the pain of hitting the ground. She punched off the man who was on her left arm, then kicked off the one on her right leg. Desperate to get away, she rolled over twice, throwing off two more of the gnomes. Only Brad's head remained, grabbing on to her by her curled hair.

"Struggling is only going to make this more painful!" he growled.

Despite the added weight on her head, Jess rose to full height and reached for the little man who had been Brad's head, digging her fingernails into his flesh. He let out a cry, complaining about his remarkable face and loosening his grip on Jess' hair. With gritted teeth, Jess tore the little man from her head and tossed him away. Her eyes became teary, her scalp burning with pain from the hair Brad had ripped away.

"Get away from me!" she cried, bolting away. She had to get out of there before they caught her. She needed to-

Multiple men lept from behind the trees, barring her way in every direction. They were all dressed as Brad had been, in black hoodies and jeans.

"I forgot to mention," Brad's head gloated, walking through the grass to the cluster of figures and nursing his face. "I have some friends I want you to meet."

* * *

Dipper and Mabel opened the door to the Mystery Shack and walked inside.

They weren't sure what they expected, but the place felt different. Not that it looked any better or worse than it had before – the log walls and wooden panel floor looked rough and had nails occasionally sticking up in various places, the shelves of the gift shop were stocked with cheap overpriced novelties that no one in their right mind would ever think of spending money on, mold could be spotted on the ceiling if you looked close enough, and there were small cracks visible on the ornate window behind the cash register that let most of the light into the room. There was nothing wrong with the Shack visibly. It was home. It just didn't…feel like home. The feeling, the atmosphere that emanated from the Shack was more along the lines of one a person might experience when first entering a vacation house after a year. Everything was familiar, it looked no different than it was left, but it was missing that unique feel of being lived in.

Mabel frowned. "This…this is weird."

"I'll be out in a minute!" called a gruff voice from outside the room. "Don't walk out yet while you still have my – I mean, your money!"

Dipper's heart warmed at the sound of the familiar eccentric voice, relief beginning to flood his system.

"Grunkle Stan!" he and his sister called.

There was a silence. Then, out of the hallway stepped Stan Pines, dressed up in his suit and fez and clutching his 8-ball cane. At the sight of his niece and nephew, Stan's shocked face melted into the widest smile Dipper had ever seen him give and his eyes watered with tears. His cane dropped to the ground, giving a dull thud as it hit the wood floor.

"Kids!" Stan cried, launching himself at the twins. Dipper and Mabel mirrored the action, and the long-separated family crashed into each other in a giant bear hug. Dipper could feel some of the air being pulled out of his lungs, but at the moment he didn't care – he hugged harder.

"I'm so glad you're alright," Stan managed, his voice cracking with emotion. "I was starting to think you'd never wake up."

"We're here, Grunkle Stan." Mabel assured him. "We're both right here."

"Grunkle Stan," Dipper cracked, tears beginning to form on his own face. "I'm so sorry for sneaking to Mandell Labs that night. I was-"

"It's okay, Dipper." Stan cut him off. "You're both okay. That's all that matters."

The trio lingered on each other for a few more minutes, until they had to break apart to make sure they didn't suffocate each other in the hug. Grunkle Stan took off his glasses and dried his eyes with his sleeve. "Ehrm, it's about time you two woke up. Do you two have any idea how hard it's been finding good help around here? I must've lost a small fortune in sales that didn't happen because of you two!"

Dipper and Mabel chuckled. "I'm sorry we're so good at the menial labor you put us up to, Grunkle Stan." Dipper joked.

"Yeah, well don't get a big head about it," Grunkle Stan shot back, giving them a little grin as he slid his glasses back on. "Anyway, as long as you two are draining my pockets, how 'bout we go and get some ice cream? My treat."

"I second that notion!" Mabel cried excitedly.

"Count me in!" Dipper agreed.

With their moods rejuvenated and their hearts at ease, the family got into Stan's Devil Duster and made their way to the Gravity Falls Creamery.

It was the best ice cream any of them had ever eaten.

* * *

Dipper needed to think. So he went for a walk in the place that had always helped him with his thoughts – the woods.

It had been a day since he and his sister had reunited with Grunkle Stan, a day since they had awoken from their comas. The rest of the day had been amazing – Stan had taken them to get ice cream, then they had raided the store for snacks and had a movie night, just the three of them. In fact, they had all passed out on the living room, Stan on the couch and the twins on the ground. It almost made him forget the circumstances that had preceded said events. He had been content with just spending time with his family. They all had.

But yesterday was gone, and with the new day came reality beginning to set in.

Dipper had looked up the news from the Infinity Engine's accident, and though no one he had been particularly close to had been hurt that he could tell, he had known some of the victims nonetheless. His freshman gym teacher, Mr. Strong, had perished when a telephone pole affected by the blast had fallen over and crushed him in his car. Rachel Rand, a girl who was more around the popular end at school, had been felled by a stray bolt of lightning. And Robbie Valentino, a senior that Dipper had never really gotten along with, was among the missing from that night. There were others that he had occasionally shared passing glances with that were dead or gone, and though he had never shared a conversation with any of them, he couldn't help but feel a silent sense of loss and dread. There was a small weight behind his eyes, as if he wanted to cry but couldn't. Didn't.

Though Stan had been reluctant to let the twins out of his sight, he had relented to their pleading to give them the day to themselves. Mabel was meeting her friends at Greasy's Diner for a girls' day out. Dipper, however, didn't feel like being around his friends yet. He didn't want to deal with the poking and prodding he was sure to receive about his coma, and though he was relieved that they were all okay, he needed some time to process everything.

Leaves and twigs crunched under Dipper's feet as he continued to trudge along the route that he knew all too well. He had been coming to this part of the forest since he was ten. Ever since he found the hidden metal compartment. He had gone this way so many times, he was certain he could walk the path with his eyes closed.

Dipper took a moment to take in an extra-long breath. He hadn't given it much thought, but he had been breathing in stale laboratory air for the last nine months. Scents that had been common to him before were like new now, and the air of the forest was no exception – slightly damp, fresh air paired with the strong, almost tangy scent of pine needles. Albeit unknowingly, he had missed it.

Finally, Dipper reached his destination. It was a small clearing, with pine trees skirting the edges, creating an almost disfigured oval around a bunch of wild bushes, green spear-like grass, and patches of dirt and rocks.

Dipper approached one of the trees towards the far end of the clearing, giving it a small tap. As expected, a small metallic clang rang from it. Dipper made a small smirk. At least some things hadn't changed.

Feeling his fingers along the body of the tree, Dipper found a small crevice almost undetectable to the human eye, and pulled a panel of the "wooden" exterior outward, exposing a metallic interior with rusted areas evident throughout. In the center was a metallic box adorned with buttons, gauges, and switches. Dipper flipped one such switch with a small click, and a dull creak of metal on metal emanated from behind him.

Dipper turned. A panel of grass and dirt a couple of feet from him was swallowed up by the ground around it, revealing a metallic open box about the size of a small oven. The various odds and ends contained inside were covered with a small layer of dust, an outward sign of the time Dipper had spent away from his secret cache.

Dipper had found the secret compartment completely by accident. One moment, he had been putting up signs for Grunkle Stan in the woods, the next he had found a tree made completely out of metal. The compartment had been empty when Dipper had found it, but the dust at the center of it was not nearly as thick as the dust around the center, leading him to the belief that something had been housed inside before he found it, like a small box or book. He would've loved to know who had constructed the cache, but at the moment it was still another mystery he had yet to solve.

Dipper walked over to the cache and, sitting down, began to peruse its contents. A notebook he had begun years ago cataloging the strange creatures and anomalies of Gravity Falls. A book on the theoretical sciences by Dr. Mandell that was practically overflowing with post-it notes and bookmarks. Several labeled flash-drives. Small vials of love and anti-love potions. A file containing documents on the history of Gravity Falls. A lock of Gnome hair (Dipper wasn't sure why he still had that). To Dipper's relief, everything seemed to still be here.

Dipper was putting the items back in the cache when he heard a small whisper.

 _Is it him?_

Dipper whirled around. The whisper had seemed to come from right behind him, but all he saw was trees.

"Hello?" Dipper called. "Is anyone there?"

Silence.

Shrugging, Dipper finished putting everything back in the cache. He was probably hearing things. Or maybe the Hide-Behind was taunting him again. It wouldn't have been the first time.

Dipper stood and made his way back to the tree. He flipped the switch, and the sound of metal on metal filled the air again. Among the unpleasant cacophony was another whisper.

 _Help me._

Dipper slammed the tree panel shut and whirled around. Again, no one was there. The trees began to sway in the breeze, as if taunting him.

"Mabel, is that you?" Dipper asked, looking around. "If this is one of your pranks, Mabel, I swear-"

 _Get off of me!_

This time, the whisper came as rough and hoarse, and unlike the previous whispers, this one was coming from somewhere to the right of Dipper. Frowning, he began to wander in the direction he had heard the voice from. What the heck was going on here?

 _Get off of me! Get away from me!_

The voice grew in intensity, and it was clear that whoever was speaking was in trouble. Dipper's wandering broke into a small run, dodging and weaving through the trees as he went.

 _Help me!_

 _Get off of me!_

 _Stay away from me!_

"Hello?!" Dipper shouted. "Do you need help? Where are you?"

All he was answered with was more intense whispering.

 _Help me!_

 _Help me!_

 _Please!_

Dipper stumbled onto what appeared to be the remains of a picnic. A flannel blanket was stretched along the ground, and a small basket sat on top of it. And yet, no one was visible. The place seemed completely abandoned.

Dipper looked around. "Hello? Is anyone out there?"

No response. Whoever or whatever had called him here had gone silent.

Dipper began to closely inspect the area. The whispering had definitely been coming from here. Something was clearly wrong, so what was he missing?

He noticed that the dirt and grass had been kicked up nearby, as if a struggle had happened here. The food left behind was unfinished, so whoever had been picnicking here had been interrupted by someone or something.

Then Dipper noticed a small clump of dark, curly hair in a section of dirt where the scuffle had taken place. Kneeling down, he picked it up and examined it.

 _It_ _ **is**_ _him._

Dipper looked up, still finding no one to match the whisper to. "Hello? Is this your picnic?"

Suddenly, the whispering came flooding back, increasing in intensity with every passing second. No longer coming from a specific direction, it seemed as if it was coming from everywhere at once.

 _It is him._

 _He's here._

 _And he hears us._

 _The Pine Tree hears us._

The whispers continued to get louder and louder. They felt like they were pounding against Dipper's head, grating against his skull.

 _He hears us!_

 _What delicious things we can share with him!_

 _The moon landing was real, but the moon was fake! Purple isn't a real color! The Shooting Star is the key!_

"Hello?!" Dipper shouted into the madness, clutching his ears and digging his nails into his scalp. Just when he thought it couldn't get more intense, the booming whispery voices began talking over each other, their collective sound filling the woods like a school cafeteria multiplied ten times.

 ** _AFLWSS! xalata! okatav! lemcre! oDihSC! tocIih!_** ** _lcaBsu_** ** _!_**

It was too much. Before Dipper even knew what he was doing, he was running. He didn't stop even after he exited the forest. Only after he entered the Mystery Shack and slammed the door behind him did the voices relent, allowing him time to recover. He slid against the wooden door and held his head in his hands.

He needed to find Mabel. He needed to find out what the heck had just happened to him. But before he could collect enough of himself to do anything, he heard one final whisper. One that chilled him inside even more than the entire experience prior had.

 _The Pine Tree hears us._

 _The Pine Tree hears us…..and the Triangle knows about it._

* * *

 **Wkh zklvshuv krog pdqb vhfuhwv**

 **AN: The hidden messages contained in the roaring whispers Dipper hears is six words/phrases, the letters of each one equally spaced through the six coded words in the message (for example, the first letter of the first message is the first letter in the first coded word, A. The rest of the message can be found by taking the first letters of each of the other coded words and forming a word or phrase with them, putting them in the order they are in in the coded words.).**


End file.
